Wellington police bust 'brown sugar' ring

Wellington police have arrested five people following a four-month operation targeting a new Class C drug which goes by the name brown sugar or drone.

9 March 2018

Wellington police have busted a drug ring they say has been importing a new type of drug.

A four-month operation concentrating on N-Ethylpentylone - a class C controlled drug commonly referred to as brown sugar, mephedrone or drone - resulted in raids on Thursday where four men and woman, aged between 25 and 37, were arrested.

Police also seized about 6kg of the drug, more than $400,000 in cash and seven vehicles - two Harley Davidsons, an Audi, HSV Commodore, Mercedes, Chevrolet ute and Maserati.

Also seized was over $200,000 of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

"We hear a lot about the harmful impact of Class A drugs like methamphetamine, but this drug - and others like it - are also doing real harm," Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Dye said.

Two of the men have been charged with a range of drug-related offences, including importing a class C controlled drug and will appear in Wellington District Court on Friday.